Cross‐National Solidarity and Political Sustainability in the EU after the Crisis

Abstract

The recent economic shocks have severely tested the EU's political sustainability. The deep‐rooted and unending succession of existential crises demonstrates the sharp misalignment between the high degree of integration reached by the EU, its authority structure, and the absence of solidarity to sustain this structure. The contribution unfolds as follows: first, we claim that the Union has become a complex adaptive system and that attempts to restore the status quo ante are unrealistic. Section II shows that its authority structure is ill‐suited to steering the complex system because it lacks adequate instruments for addressing common risks and democratic externalities. Section III argues that contemporary EU leaders are failing to promote the principles of solidarity which, according to its founding father are required to disarm centrifugal tendencies. Section IV presents empirical evidence which signals the existence of considerable popular support for these pan‐European forms of solidarity.

Collective Identities, European Solidarity: Identification Patterns and Preferences for European Social Insurance

“…Against this backdrop, researchers have studied the relationship between European identities and European social policy in general (Börner and Eigmüller, ; Gerhards et al, ; Lahusen and Grasso, ; Verhaegen, ). They have also explored support for specific forms of solidarity, including European unemployment benefit schemes (Dolls and Wehrhöfer, ; Ferrera and Brunelli, ). However, we do not know what kind of European social policies receive public support or opposition, and which aspects of these policies are relevant to having a collective identity, indeed, collective identities , given the multidimensional nature of collective identities and European social policy (Baute et al, ).…”

Poor versus rich countries: a gap in public attitudes towards fiscal solidarity in the EU

“…European solidarity, of course, is a multidimensional phenomenon that differs from national solidarity (Baute et al 2018;Nicoli 2015). With specific reference to within-EU financial assistance, it should be noted that systemic resilience is contingent upon common solutions, cross-national unity, and the understanding of mutual responsibility and interdependence (see also Ferrera and Burelli 2019). This in part depends on the extent to which rich countries' solidarity is perceived as 'conditional', i.e.…”

Juncker's Curse? Identity, Interest, and Public Support for the Integration of Core State Powers

“…Large majorities want to keep the EU. If this requires more integration of CSPs they may actually support the political elites who give them the choice to opt for it (Ferrera and Burelli, , p. 106).…”

“…Eurozone countries going into deficit to bail out banks or to deal with massive unemployment, member states confronted with many refugees, or states feeling threatened by Russia do not need more rules but more resourcesmoney, force, or bureaucrats. The cohesion and viability of the EU then depends on the sharing of financial, coercive, or administrative resources (Ferrera and Burelli, 2019;Genschel and Jachtenfuchs, 2018;Schelkle, 2017). This can happen in two ways:…”

“…Eurozone countries going into deficit to bail out banks or to deal with massive unemployment, member states confronted with many refugees, or states feeling threatened by Russia do not need more rules but more resources – money, force, or bureaucrats. The cohesion and viability of the EU then depends on the sharing of financial, coercive, or administrative resources (Ferrera and Burelli, ; Genschel and Jachtenfuchs, ; Schelkle, ). This can happen in two ways: Through horizontal transfers, by which one state sends money, credit guarantees, police agents, administrators, or troops to another state that lacks them (obviously, the same can happen between groups of states).…”